A man lives his life and evolves over time; he embodies a synthesis of all his experiences with those he meets during his life. What he sees when he finally meets the son he helps bring into the world for the first time is unique to who and what he is. His thoughts often revolve around how he grew up and the man his own father was; often he tells himself that this time it will be different and that he will be different from his own father. Nowhere are these complexities more apparent than in the lives of U.S.-based fathers and sons growing up in separate worlds — and all in the shadow of the dominant culture. Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake and August Wilson's Fences represent the growing pains of two very different families, but fall within the same theme of the lasting and complex effects of the relationships between fathers and sons. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Troy Maxson is the protagonist of the play Fences, born the son of a free man. “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime of which the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist in the United States…” (US Const. amend. XIII, 1865). The story places him as a teenager in the early 1900s; so his father is at least the descendant of a slave. The play does not specify the details, but with the abolition of slavery in 1865, the likelihood that his father was actually a previously freed slave, instead of being born free, is very likely, especially given the Troy's story of how he left his father, "The only part of the world I knew was Mr. Lubin's forty-two acres of land...I was done with farming...I so traveled the two hundred miles to Mobile. (Wilson, p. 916) He becomes his own man early in life thanks to his stern example as a father born from a dark chapter in American history, when slavery was still a relatively recent memory. His difficult upbringing leaves him few choices and pushes him to look for a new life. Troy's parental psychology is in many ways a product of the lingering and lasting consequences of the evils of slavery in the United States. “The only thing that mattered to my father was bringing the bales of cotton to Mr. Lubin. It was the only thing that mattered to him. (Wilson, p. 914) Growing up with this kind of mentality makes Troy the father he later becomes. Here, there is no better example of the ethic of hard work and concern for nothing else that becomes central to how he views the world and his responsibilities as his lasting legacy. He sees his own role as doing whatever is necessary to be the "breadwinner", and this is his only true purpose in life, as he discovers for himself; he is bound by the only means he inherits, the sweat of his hard work. He is not much to Lyon, his eldest son, who reprimands him: “I am thirty-four years old. If you wanted to change me, you should have been there when I was little. (Wilson, p. 898) With a relationship that is tenuous at best with Lyons, his tough love becomes greater with his youngest son, Cory. “I don’t want him to be like me!” I want him to stay as far away from my life as possible. (Wilson, p. 909) Troy is determined to destroy any attempt to turn sports into a career, but he makes it clear that he has the best of intentions. He teaches Cory to be a responsible young man and continues to push him to become a good, honest and hard worker. He believes, based on his experiences and who he is, that no black man will ever succeed in the white world of American sports.Similar to Troy Maxson in at least sharing his concern about his son's future success, Ashoke Ganguli is deeply caring and thoughtful. in Lahiri's novel. “[He] looks to one side, his wife's suitcase in his hand, smiling, head down. “Gogol enters the world,” [Ashoke] will eventually write…” (Lahiri, p. 29) At the very beginning, at the birth of his son, Ashoke is the type of father we are most quick to recognize and to accept. He is the kind of man who carries his erudite nature as a scholar and professor at a reputed university very well. His deep intellect shines through when he names his son after a brilliant writer who connects him to his own past: a very personal story that he expects and hopes to eventually reveal to his son much later, one day, when the time will have come. He considers his son a wonderful gift given to him after surviving a terrible accident that almost cost him his life. In his son, he sees the wonders of life reborn and immediately makes the connection with his choice to call him Gogol. Having been born from a very different cultural identity, Ashoke is often cautiously concerned about Gogol's maturation and takes steps not to lose his deeper connections. to his son. “[Ashoke and his wife, Ashima,] send him to Bengali language and culture classes every other Saturday... Because when Ashima and Ashoke turn a blind eye, it never fails to destabilize them, that their children speak like Americans, conversing expertly in a language. it still disconcerts them sometimes, in accents that they are used to not trusting. (Lahiri, p. 65) Bengali culture is important as a basis in how he raises his children, and although he is open to their assimilation in America, he believes that if they lose connection with their heritage, they will probably lose their families too. links with each other. Traditions, family, community and India are the building blocks of her relationship with her children. Friction inevitably arises when two worlds collide, as cultural differences and resulting issues tend to creep into the lives and relationships of fathers and sons. "I don't understand. Why did you have to give me a nickname in the first place? What is it for? ...it's not even a Bengali name... How could you tell me the name of someone so strange? (Lahiri, p. 99-100) Ashoke is always waiting for the right moment when he feels that Gogol is ready to know his deeply personal reasons and his connection with the name. “So change it… In America, anything is possible.” Do what you want. (Lahiri, p. 100) Instead of clearly stating why his name means so much to him, Ashoke shows his persevering patience in his fatherly style and also positively reinforces his son's continued assimilation to American methods and values ​​above of his own feelings. This is a trait that sets him apart from Troy Maxson; Ashoke acquiesces to his son's wishes while Troy dictates his exact demands. Much can be said about Ashoke's cultured Bengali mannerisms: although he is kind, thoughtful, and relatively considerate, Ashoke remains steadfast in his characteristic reserve about personal expression of emotion. It becomes difficult to finally make Gogol understand the importance of his name. “[He] is not the type to admit such things, to speak openly about his desires, his moods, his needs… “I want to tell you something… It’s about your name…” He tells her tells of the night that almost took his life, and the book that saved his life, and about a year later, when he was unable to move. (Lahiri, p. 122-123) So, in truth, Ashoke's wait for the right moment does not depend solely on Gogol being.